John currin



(No Model.)

J. UEEIN.

EYEGLASSES.

No. 479,907. Patented Aug. 2, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN OURRIN, OF SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANOPTICAL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

EYEG LASSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,907, dated August2, 1892.

Application filed April 25, 1892- Serial No. 430,554. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN OURRIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Southbridge, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inEyeglasses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, which, in connection with the drawingsmaking a part of this specification, will enable others skilled in theart to which my invention belongs to make and use the same.

My invention relates to eyeglass-frames, and more particularly to thatclass of eyeglass-frames in which the break or joint in the eye-wireoccurs only at the frame-post, leaving a continuous wire encircling thelens without break or joint except at the framep The object of myinvention is to improve upon the construction of eyeglass-frames of theclass above referred to as now ordinarily made, and more particularly todo away with the requirement of a threaded hole in one end of theeye-Wire to receive the screw which holds the ends of the eye-wiretogether after the lens is inserted.

It has been found in practice that the threaded hole in the eye-wirewhich receives the holding-screw is so small that it is difficult toprovide it with a screw-thread corresponding to the thread on theholding-screw, and said screw-thread must be so fine that in a veryshort time, by reason of turning in and out the holding-screw, thethread becomes worn out and fails to hold the screw, thus allowing theends of the eye-wire to be separated and the lens to drop out.

In my improvement I do away entirely with a screw-threaded hole in thefree end of the eye-wire and provide a notch into which the end of theholding-screw, which is supported and turns in a threaded hole in theframepost, extends to secure the ends of the eyewire together.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction ofeyeglass-frames of the class above referred to, as will be hereinafterfully described, and the nature thereof indicated by the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of eyeglassesembodying my invention with one of the lenses removed and the free endof one eye-wire disconnected. Fig. 2 is a sectional detail, on anenlarged scale, of the frame-post and the ends of the eye-wire securedin the frame-post. Fig.3 is a vertical section on line 3 3, Fig. 2,looking in the direction of arrow a, same figure; and Fig. 4 is asectional detail showing a modification of the construction shown inFig. 2.

I have shown in the drawings myimprovement applied to eyeglassesprovided with a bow-spring and nose-pieces of ordinary and Well-knownconstruction; but it will be understood that my improvement may beapplied to any eyeglasses in which eye-wires are used or to spectacles.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 is the bowspring, 2 the slotted piece inwhich the upper end of the nose-piece is held and moves, and 3 is thenose-piece attached at its lower end to the eye-wire, all in theordinary way. The

post 4 is preferably made separate from the eye-Wire and is of theordinary shape and is recessed in its outer end (see Fig. 3) to receivethe end of the bow spring 1 and the end of the slotted piece 2, whichare secured together and to the post 4 by the post-screw 5, whichengages a screw-threaded hole in said post 4, all in the usual way. Theinner end of the post 4 is provided with a groove or channel 6, (seeFig. 3,) and in the outer part of said groove is firmly secured one end7 of the eye-wire 7. The other end 7" of the eyewire 7 is enlarged orprovided with a lug 8, which is adapted to fit into a groove 6 andextend over the other end 7 of the eye-wire 7 and have a bearing on saidend. (See Fig. 2.) The lug 8 is provided with a shoulder 8' on its lowersurface to butt against the stationary end 7' of the eye-wire 7, and theupper surface of the lug 8 has a notch or depression 8 therein, adaptedto receive the end of the side screw 9 when the lug 8 extends into thegroove 6 in the post 4. (See Fig. 2.) The side screw 9 is supported andturns in a threaded hole in one side of the frame-post 4, preferably inthe back side of the post, so that the front side of the post (shown atthe left in Fig. 3) will have the ordinary appearance. The inner end ofthe groove 6 in the post 4 has a notch or depression 10 thereincorresponding to the notch 8" in the lug 8 when the lug is inserted inthe groove 6 in the post 4, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and into saiddepression 10 extends the screw 9 (see Fig. 2) to secure the lug 8 inthe groove 6 in the post 4.

The operation of my improvement will be readily understood from theabove description in connection with the drawings.

When it is desired to disconnect the free end 7 of the eye-wire, thescrew9 is turned outwardly until the end thereof is freed from thedepression 10 in the post 4 and notch 8" in the lug S. The end 7" isthen disconnected from the post 4, as shown in Fig. 1, the lens isinserted, and the lug 8 is pushed into the groove 6 over the fast end 7of the wire 7 and the screw 9 turned in, causing the end thereof toenter the depression 10 in the post 4 and the notch 8 in the upper partof the lug 8 and hold said lug in the post 4 between the fast end 7' ofthe wire 7 and the inner end of the groove 6 in the post 4.

I prefer to provide the right-hand eye-wire with an eye 11 as a means ofattachment for an eyeglass cord or chain.

The advantages o'f my invention will be Referring to Fig. 4, it will beseen that by having a central vertical hole through the post 4 andmaking the post-screw 5 longer the lower end of said post-screw 5 may bemade to extend into the notch 8" in the lug 8 and hold the lug in thegroove 6 in the inner end of the post 4, thus dispensing With the sidescrew 9; but I prefer to use the side screw 9.

By placing the holding-screw 9 on the back side of the post t I leavethe front side intact and with no visible break or joint in theeye-Wire.

It will be understood that the details of construction of my improvementmay be varied somewhat from what is shown and described, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an eyeglass-frame, the combination, with the post having adepression in its outer end adapted to receive the end of the bowspringand the end of the nose-piece and having a groove in its inner endadapted to receive the ends of the eye-wire, of the eye-wire madeseparate from the post and having one end rigidly secured in the groovein the inner end of the post and the other end detachable from the postand provided with a lug adapted to extend into said groove, and meansfor holding said lug in said groove, substantially as set forth.

2. In an eyeglass-frame, the combination, with the post having adepression in its outer end adapted to receive the end of the bowspringand the end of the nose-piece and having a groove in its inner endadapted to receive the endsof the eye-wire, of the eye-wire madeseparate from the post and having one end rigidly secured in the groovein the inner end of the post and the other end detachable from the postand provided with a lug adapted to extend into said groove, and meansfor holding said lug in said groove, consisting of a screw turning in athreaded hole in the side of the post with its inner end adapted toextend into a notch in the lug on the free end of the eye-wire,substantially as set forth.

JOHN CURRIN.

Witnesses:

Geo. W. CORY, ELLA T. CHAMBERLAIN.

